


Episode 22 - Old Wounds

by stgjr



Series: "The Power of a Name" Series 3 - "Time Lord Penitent" [5]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005), Green Lantern (Comics), Multi-Fandom
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Multiple Crossovers, Multiverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-11-01 12:07:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10921488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stgjr/pseuds/stgjr
Summary: A trip to the living planet Mogo turns dangerous for our narrator and his Companions when they stumble upon an alien plot to destroy the largest of the Green Lanterns.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on November 9th, 2014.

Korra and Asami had wanted to see the place Jan and Cami came from. And I agreed.  
  
And naturally it didn't turn out as planned.  
  
Now we were running full speed for the TARDIS through the streets of Coruscant, pursued by some rather angry gentlemen who called themselves Justicars. We may have opened up their prison cells to let out the assorted innocent people they'd snatched up and conscripted. And I may have scrambled their computer records in the process. But still, they were being entirely overblown about it. Seriously.  
  
Blaster fire went over our heads. "Stop now!", a voice demanded from behind.  
  
"Tenzin's going to be very cross with me," I grumbled as I grabbed Korra's wrist and pulled her out of the line of fire and into the alleyway.  
  
We were almost to the TARDIS when there was an engine roar above us. I looked back in time to see a speeder swoop in, barely small enough to fit in the alley. Armed Justicars were pointing weapons towards us.  
  
Korra whipped her arms around and a strong gust of wind jolted the speeder, spinning it slightly and making them miss. The Justicars jumped from it. Two didn't land very well; I could hear the nasty crack of a snapping bone and the Justicar in question had to stifle a scream of agony. But the third landed just right to bring his weapon up. Korra used a lifting motion and another gust of air forced the man's blaster upward. "I've got this," she declared.  
  
"Korra, wait!", I cried out, but she was already charging. Fire erupted from her fists and pummeled the man's armor, making him fall backward. The second Justicar got to his feet and brought up his blaster rifle. Korra side-stepped his aim, jumped off the wall of the alleyway, and did a roundhouse kicking motion that ripped more concrete from the ground and sent the man, a Zabrak by the look of him, flying into the wall to his left. He let out a gasp and fell.  
  
This left the first combatant, who charged her to grapple. Korra turned to him, her posture full of confidence and poise.  
  
Suddenly it wasn't that way. She stiffened and froze in place. I didn't need to see her face to realize she was having another flashback. This cost her the critical second, allowing the Justicar to land a vicious punch that made Korra cry out and spin around until she fell onto her back. He reached for his blaster pistol.  
  
I had the sonic up and used it. The pistol exploded in sparks. Before the Justicar could react to this Asami bounded past me and intercepted him. Her gloved hand reached up and grabbed his arm. Electrical current surged into him but, due to his advanced armor, didn't have the intended stun effect. He tried a martial arts move to get out of the gab and Asami reacted by changing her balance. In a deft motion she twirled the Justicar around and threw him over her shoulder and into the Zabrak who'd hit the wall.  
  
The third Justicar, who had broken his ankle - at least one - had forced himself through the pain enough to lift his gun and point it at Asami. I was quicker. A burst of solid energy from the sonic disruptor knocked him over.  
  
Asami helped Korra to her feet. Just in the nick of time too. The Justicars who had been following us on foot got to the alleyway entrance and brought up their rifles. I used the sonic screwdriver to try and disable their rifles. Some exploded in sparks. A couple didn't. The Justicars weren't kind enough to be utterly uniform in their armament sources and the other guns were different enough that the sonic hadn't effected them. It would need to scan them to determine what to do.  
  
And we didn't have time for that.  
  
I brought up the Setting 42 shield on the disruptor and used it to absorb the shots coming toward us while Asami brought Korra into the TARDIS. The shield was flickering as the shots started to degrade it. Bursts of green light came when the bolts struck the shield and exploded. "We're in!", I heard Asami call out. I backed in behind her and pulled the TARDIS door closed. I hopped up to the controls and, after a momentary check to shift us somewhere quite reasonably safe, I pulled the lever.  
  
As the TARDIS engine _VWORP_ ed, Asami helped Korra sit on the nearby stairs. There was a haunted look in the young Avatar's eyes. "Are you okay?", Asami asked.  
  
"No," Korra answered. "I'm not. I don't know what's wrong with me."  
  
"Mental trauma," I answered. "It doesn't go away very quickly or easily."  
  
"But I'm tired of this," Korra complained. "Every time I even think of starting to fight, I have flashes of fighting Zaheer and freeze up."  
  
"I know. What you need is..." My face brightened. "Ah yes. What you need, my dear Korra, is some therapy. Someone who can help you process those memories." I went back to the TARDIS controls and began setting new coordinates.  
  
"Tell me they're not going to be like Tenzin," Korra pleaded.  
  
I smirked at that. "Oh, not at all. This fellow is honestly not one for socializing, but he's great with helping people deal with problems in their heads. He's a wonder of Creation, an actual living planet." I put my hand on the TARDIS activation lever. "Next stop, Mogo!"  
  
  
  
  
When I opened the TARDIS door, I said, "Alright every..."  
  
The sight before me stopped me from finishing the sentence. Instead of a wide open nature scene on Mogo's surface, we were in an artificial structure of some sort, gray and dark. I blinked. "Okay, this doesn't look right." I retreated into the TARDIS and checked something. "Hrm, coordinates are right. This is the surface of Mogo. But he doesn't have structures on his surface. A crashed ship?" I stepped back out the door and held out my sonics for a quick scan. There was an energy source, several in fact, but I didn't see any signs that would say it was a ship with damage from crashing. "Curious..."  
  
"Is it something we need to look into?", Asami asked, stepping up beside me.  
  
"I'm not sure. I should probably see about getting a channel to Oa..." I used the sonic to connect to the TARDIS' communication console. There was immediate evidence of interference. "I don't like that. Someone's jamming transmissions. One moment." I returned to the console and boosted the power on the transmission. "That should make it. But it could take the Lanterns hours to respond..."  
  
Korra looked confused. "Lanterns? What...?"  
  
"Green Lanterns," I clarified. "Essentially a constabulary for this universe, think of them as combining the functions of the United Forces and the Republic City Police but on a universal scale. They wield power rings that let them turn their thoughts into constructs of energy shaped by their will. Mogo is one of them." I returned to the TARDIS door. "Honestly I would feel better if you two remained in the TARDIS. It's safer here."  
  
"But that's..."  
  
"Korra, please. You're still rattled from the Justicars. I don't want you getting hurt." I stepped outside the TARDIS door. "Asami, please keep her company. I'll be back shortly, I just want to investigate something."  
  
Asami nodded. "And if you need us?"  
  
I held up my TARDIS remote. "I'll summon you straight to me. I'll lock the door behind me." I gave them a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. I'll be fine." I closed the door and locked it. I held up the sonic screwdriver and turned it on for a moment. The TARDIS rippled from sight. "There we go," I breathed quietly.  
  
I followed the grimy, nasty corridors, looking for indications of where I was. At first I saw nothing, but gradually I came to an opening that led to upper levels. I could feel the barest wisps of fresh air. I was closer to an exit.  
  
As I passed down one of the halls. I noticed a burnt, scratched symbol etched into the wall. I briefly stopped and inspected it.  
  
Seeing what it was, my heart started pounding.  
  
It was the symbol of the Sinestro Corps.  
  
I started scanning for power ring signatures again. There was only the faintest signature, old and degraded. Clearly there was nobody with an active power ring nearby, nor had there been for a while.  
  
Still... whatever this was, it had at one time been associated with the Sinestro Corps. And now it was on Mogo according to my coordinates. I didn't like that.  
  
I continued heading out toward the light. Noise started to filter into my perception, a continued vibrating tone of very advanced machinery. I narrowed my eyes and scanned. A powerful device, yes. But what was it...?  
  
I got to the entrance and, I admit, made something of a gasp.  
  
Outside looked like ruined cityscape, scarred and ugly. Detritus, debris, that kind of thing, welded together haphazardly. There were forms below, many of them in ragged clothing and milling about with activity. On the horizon I could see forested hills and mountains. I'd seen them before.  
  
This was, indeed, Mogo.  
  
At the center of the area was a tall structure built upon struts and attached to an exotic energy generator of some sort. Small figures milled about on its levels. And a powerful white beam was coming from the bottom, blasting downward into Mogo's surface.  
  
Someone was drilling into Mogo. And that made my hairs stand on end in fear. Whomever they were, they had somehow gotten here despite his own defenses, they had indeed kept him from calling for help.... how?  
  
I looked about, trying to get a feel for what was going on... and I promptly forgot to pay attention to my immediate surroundings.  
  
On a barely-rebuilt structure about fifty meters away and ten meters up, a figure emerged. I met his eyes just as he met mine. Sharpened teeth showed in an angry smile. I realized, from the angle, that the person in question was the size of a child, but the expression was clearly not that of one. And...  
  
...oh dear.  
  
Bald.  
  
Bald, sharp teeth, the size of a child.  
  
The Children of the White Lobe.  
  
 _Oh bugger_.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
They're called children. They look like children.  
  
And... the Children of the White Lobe had the ability to detonate themselves and wield other forms of psychokinetic power. So they were also very, very _dangerous_.  
  
The one facing me let out a shriek. "An intruder!" He pointed at me and shrieked his warning again. And then he - or was it a she? The being's voice was quite high either way - jumped up onto the railing and out into the air.  
  
Oh yes, they can fly too.  
  
Tactically I had only one option; retreat into the corridors. Limit their flight advantage. This was not the most efficacious approach, however, if I were to stop them. I had a pretty good idea what they were doing.  
  
This was clearly after the Sinestro Corps War, where the Children had been allies of the former dictator of Korugar and his band of fear-powered ring-bearers against the Green Lanterns. The first great, large-scale battle of that war had been for Mogo, with Sinestro's followers, the White Lobe, and the sentient cityship Ranx trying to destroy Mogo to cripple the Lanterns. They'd nearly succeeded.  
  
And now it was clear the White Lobe were coming to finish the job.  
  
There was no angry hissing or shouts behind me. I could sense the subtle thrum of psychokinetic energy, though, and knew the Children were pursuing me into the halls. I was also quite certain they weren't the only threat I was faced with. They would have allies.  
  
I tried to remain quiet as I returned to the gloomier tunnels, seeking as many advantages as I could get. In my mind's eye I tried to imagine alternative paths. But the tunnels were not logically connected. This entire structure was not a whole one but several forced together. With the sonic I was able to avoid dead-ends, but it meant I could not easily find ways that led upward or downward.  
  
All I knew is that I needed to get to the center of the facility.  
  
My hand brushed the TARDIS remote, but I held off. There was too much about this place I didn't know. The TARDIS was stealthy, yes, but there were ways to track her I couldn't circumvent if you had sufficiently advanced technology. And this cosmos was notorious for such technology, and even if they hadn't seen me before, they might be actively looking now.  
  
I continued on my way. I held my sonic up with my right hand and scanned with it, letting its purple tip play its light over the dark corridors of the interior. In my left I held the sonic disruptor, keyed for setting 42. I found an assembled intersection of corridors accompanied by the faint stench of a distant sewage system. I curled my nose in disgust and followed the stench. A sewage system would by necessity lead everywhere; it might get me to my goal quietly. I followed the path down.  
  
And that was when I nearly died.  
  
There was a crash from below. The ground erupted in front of me and I got my disruptor up just in time to absorb the backwash of a blast of psychokinetic energy. Two of the White Lobe levitated up through the wreckage. In the light created by their energy I could see they were in total purple robes, reminding me of Wizard robes from Discworld, and appraising me with cold eyes. "Interloper", one hissed, the voice just the right pitch to identify the speaker as male. He brought a hand up along with his companion.  
  
The resulting blast slammed into my shield and nearly overpowered it. The energy transferred into my arm, forcing me to brace myself and bring the other hand over to hold it. To my astonishment the energy _increased_ in force until I was thrown backward. I slammed into the ground hard enough to start to lose my breath for a moment. I was dazed with pain in my head for a moment. Had they fired again they would have crushed me.  
  
But they drew nearer instead. Undoubtedly they wanted to get a look at me and find out who or what I was. My left hand tensed around the sonic disruptor and, with a mental command, I set it to Setting 4's highest level. I would only get one chance at this. I resisted drawing in an anticipatory breath before I brought my arm up with more than enough quickness to surprise them. Brute kinetic force lashed out from my disruptor and slammed into the two White Lobe followers. The angle sent them flying upward into the ceiling where they smashed their heads and went out like lights. I got to my feet and tried not to think about the world spinning. I felt my balance return and looked at their fallen forms. A quick scan of the sonic confirmed they had severe head injuries, but not too severe. The White Lobe's followers were not superhuman entirely. But they had above-average endurance and the angle of the impacts kept much of the energy from crushing their skulls.  
  
I suppose I shouldn't have felt too worried. They did want to kill me and blow up Mogo. But.... I don't like killing. Not if there is an alternative. Maybe it was foolish. But it was how I felt.  
  
Killing was something the Time Lord Triumphant would have done.  
  
And I didn't want to go back to that.  
  
And so I continued onward into the bowels of this structure.  
  
  
  
  
The sewage lines weren't complete. They ended up a near dead end, forcing me to take another tunnel further up. I felt like I was getting closer to what should be the center of the structure. I kept a careful eye on my energy scans to avoid any further encounters with the Children of the White Lobe.  
  
A tunnel with faint energy readings ahead led me to a chamber. Or rather what remained of what. It had been reassembled, much like the rest of this structure, dark colors abounding and several screens darkened that had once displayed data. The energy source within was pulsing with energy. I narrowed my eyes as I tried to imagine what the chamber had once been.  
  
In the middle of the chamber was a large object of sorts, a container of bio-mechanical matter. I sensed delicate workings, that of exotic bio-circuitry. I narrowed my eyes as I approached it and put a hand on one port, running my sonic over it. What was...?  
  
Oh.  
  
Oh dear, of course.  
  
At that point, looking at the chamber again, I realized where I was standing. I realized what the White Lobe had assembled for this mission. Why the marking of the Sinestro Corps was present where I had found it.  
  
This was indeed a re-assembled structure.  
  
It was Ranx.  
  
Ranx, the sentient city-ship that had been a roving base for the Sinestro Corps, at least until Sodam Yat had destroyed it in orbit over Mogo in Sinestro's failed effort to kill Mogo. The White Lobe had reassembled him for this purpose.  
  
Facts fit together into a logic chain. Ranx wasn't reacting to me. Not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't. To confirm this I shined the sonic screwdriver over some equipment attached to the core. The devices were active, emitting energy into Ranx's core. Information.  
  
Control shackles on his programming, directing Ranx's consciousness, amplifying his mind, enslaving it to one purpose.  
  
That was why Mogo was silent. That was how the White Lobe had set up here with impunity. They had used Ranx to force him into unconsciousness.  
  
I held up my sonic. If I did what I was planning, it might awaken Ranx. And given his temperament, he probably wouldn't be very friendly, or even opposed to what they had done.  
  
On the other hand, he was also very prideful. He might very well decide to help me out of spite for his captors.  
  
Of course, that all presumed there was enough left of his mind to make any conscious decision.  
  
I drew in a breath and made my decision. Whatever else happened, this could at least delay the White Lobe. The Green Lanterns might get more time to arrive.  
  
With a sweep of the sonic screwdriver I fried the machinery holding Ranx's mind in chains.  
  
The chamber rumbled. An inarticulate growl came from speakers around the chamber. " _Who?_ ," A voice asked. "Who is?"  
  
"I am a Time Lord," I answered. "I'm freeing you to fight the people who've enslaved you."  
  
"Fight. Fight for.... what?"  
  
I grimaced. Ranx wasn't whole mentally, it was clear. The White Lobe hadn't fully reassembled his intelligence, just the power behind it. "You were taken. Held against your will."  
  
"Taken...?"  
  
Before I could continue light erupted from the tunnel. I went to some cover and watched several robed figures. More Children, including one with a crown of gray hair. Their leader?  
  
"The interloper fumbles about," one said. "We need to find and destroy him!"  
  
"We will. But look at how feeble his sabotage is," the leader said in reply. "Ranx's remnant mind has already fulfilled his task. The planet is in deep slumber and our holy task will be fulfilled." I saw a sneer come to his face. "As for the interloper... did you find his vessel?"  
  
"Yes. We have it in a stasis field."  
  
My hearts went cold. They found the TARDIS? That meant.... I could only hope Korra and Asami had stayed put inside.  
  
"It is the Time Lord," the other figure said.  
  
"I see."  
  
And then the leader looked straight at my cover and said, "You hide like a child, Time Lord. But we know you are here. We feel your aura. The power of the White Lobe is not to be resisted."  
  
I remained where I was, refusing to be baited. I couldn't be sure he...  
  
And then he hit me with a blast of psychokinetic energy that made my brain scream with pain. The physical force of the blast broke away the machinery I was hiding behind and sent me flying into the nearest wall. I hit so hard I lost my grip on my sonic devices. They clattered to the floor and I joined a moment later, dazed to the point of stupefaction.  
  
"The mighty Time Lord. The ally of the Lanterns and of the beings of Earth." The leader of the White Lobe group approached. "I am Farnillax. How did you know to find us?"  
  
I tried to reply but couldn't. I was fighting the nausea and headache from the impact.  
  
My silence earned me another jolt that sent me back into the wall. Force closed around my throat and lifted me into the air. " _How did you know where to find us?_ " Farnillax repeated.  
  
I tried to answer and a choke came out. This seemed to alert him to my condition and he relaxed his grip ever so slightly. I wheezed some air into my lungs. "Didn't," I rasped.  
  
"You just happened to arrive as we approached the fulfillment of our holy work?", Farnillax demanded.  
  
"Happens," I answered hoarsely. "Sort of my thing."  
  
"And where are your allies? Where is the green girl with the sword of light? The blonde woman with eyes of ice?"  
  
"Not with me anymore," I replied. I took heart in the questions. This bought yet more time. _Just stay in the TARDIS, please_ , I thought, as if Korra and Asami could hear me. I tried to keep my feet from shifting uselessly in mid-air.  
  
Farnillax narrowed his eyes. "You expect me to believe that? That you came here alone?"  
  
"I travel alone now," I lied. "Better that way."  
  
"Well." Farnillax's expression shifted slightly, showing less disbelief and more of a pleased countenance. "I have considered your value and what your knowledge might do for the White Lobe. But your reputation precedes you, Doctor. You are far too dangerous." I felt his grip on my throat tighten until I couldn't breathe. "And now you will die."  
  
I struggled as best as I could. But Time Lords don't have the ability to move things with their minds, no matter how powerful they otherwise were. I could do nothing to fight back. My limbs flailed uselessly as the pressure on my throat tightened even further. I started to wonder if I would die from being strangled first or if Farnillax would break my neck.  
  
The former looked more likely as I started to fall into darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The only thing keeping the Children of the White Lobe from finishing off Mogo is our narrator and his Companions.

So I was being strangled. My sonics were out of reach. In short, I was in a Bad Situation.  
  
Well, Soon-to-Die Situation, more accurately.  
  
I didn't see what happened. I just remember getting a monetary gasp of air before I slammed into the ground and had that air knocked out of me as well. I sucked in more air and looked up to see what happened.  
  
There were many advantages for the White Lobe in their appearances. Many species tended to underestimate them at first glance. Others had trouble contemplating violence against them due to the taboo of inflicting harm on a child. This allowed them to exploit these perceptions to often-fatal effect.  
  
One of the disadvantages, though, is that when you're just a few feet tall and look like a grade school child, you also tend to have the mass of a being that size. That means bigger and more massive things can cause a world of hurt if they land a hit.  
  
Things like a two hundred and fifty kilogram polar bear dog.  
  
When I forced myself to look up, Farnillax was out of sight. Of his two companions one was already down, caught by the razor sharp claws of Naga, while the other was desperately shifting to avoid a blow from Naga's right forearm.  
  
The maneuver sent him directly into arm's reach of Asami, who reached out with her Equalist-make shock glove and grabbed the Child of the White Lobe by the shoulder. Electricity surged into the diminutive figure. He - or a she? - let out a shrill cry and fell unconscious.  
  
I felt powerful arms lift me to my feet. I turned to see Korra with worry showing in her blue eyes. "Are you okay?!"  
  
I rubbed at my neck in reply. "Nice timing. I should be angry with you two for leaving the TARDIS...." I narrowed my eyes. "How did you get Naga through the control room anyway?"  
  
"Very, very carefully," Asami answered, walking up. Naga followed with tail wagging happily.  
  
I reached for the TARDIS control. I wanted to confirm whether or not the Children had sufficient technology to thwart my standard remote protocols. I grimaced when I didn't get the TARDIS coming in as desired. Their stasis field was something new. "Okay, we're cut off from the TARDIS now. We'll have to find it." I picked up my sonics.  
  
Naga let out a howl of surprise as she went flying. The wall clanged with the force of the impact. We turned to face Farnillax rising from where he'd fallen, his face locked into a scowl of anger and rage. "Unbelievers," he rasped. "Infidels. You will pay for this affront to the White..."  
  
There was an angry snarl on Korra's face. She whirled her arms and bent the air around Farnillax, spinning him about for a moment before he tried to right himself. I was in no mood for moderation and hit him with the most powerful Setting 4 blast I could. Disorientated from the sudden funnel of air spinning him around, the White Lobe's leader wasn't prepared to deflect my attack and he went flying. He made a very satisfying smack against the far wall.  
  
Korra was already heading to Naga's side. The polar bear dog made a whimpering sound from where she was laying on her side. Korra got to her knees and cuddled Naga's head in her arms. "He won't hurt you again, girl. It's okay." She looked back at me as I ran my sonic over Naga. "Is she...?"  
  
"She's bruised. A couple of cracked ribs," I answered. "But nothing too bad. We just can't push her very much." I looked back at Farnillax's fallen form warily. "We need to be going. I'm not sure how long he'll be out."  
  
Korra nodded and climbed up into the saddle. Asami got behind her and I got in the rear. Naga chuffed with some slight displeasure at the extra weight. At Korra's direction she bounded into the nearest tunnel at an appreciable speed. Despite the constant motion of riding in a cramped saddle with two other people I kept my sonic up and scanning. "The Children of the White Lobe are religious lunatics," I explained. "They're trying to kill Mogo and we have to stop it."  
  
"How?", Asami asked.  
  
"By delaying their operation long enough for some of the Lanterns to get here," I replied. "Right!"  
  
Korra prompted Naga to turn right at the next junction. "What are these things anyway? They look like kids."  
  
"Anything but. They have enormous psychokinetic power. My throat and Naga's ribs are proof enough of that," I answered. "Do not take them lightly."  
  
"Right."  
  
I frowned. "Korra, are you...?"  
  
"I can do this," she assured me. Confidence rang in her voice. But I could detect a hollow tone to it. She wasn't as confident as she was trying to sound.  
  
"If we do this right, there won't be any fighting," I said, trying to be assuring.  
  
"What about the TARDIS?", Asami asked.  
  
"We stop them, we take out the power source they're using for holding the TARDIS in place," I said. I narrowed my eyes. "You _did_ lock it, yes?"  
  
"We did," Asami assured me.  
  
"Good," I said. "Because I don't need them playing around with it. It would make things very...."  
  
I stopped myself and listened. I could hear the voices faintly ahead. More White Lobe. "Korra, slow down," I whispered, my voice an urgent hiss. After Korra obediently signaled Naga to slow to a near crawl I listened more intently. "Next corridor down," I murmured. "Stay low, approach quietly."  
  
We dismounted to approach on foot. The dark corridors were more brown than gray now. The voices of the White Lobe searchers were low whispers and they were a lot closer than I had imagined. At any moment they would come into view and, well, three against three was not good odds given our skill set versus theirs. Not in an open fight anyway.  
  
But when it comes to fighting, I am a pragmatist. I don't believe in having fights if I can avoid them, run from them, or prevent them with preemptive measures.  
  
I scanned the corridor for something useful. My eyes focused on one particular item that showed promise. Piping.  
  
As in water pipes.  
  
"Look up," I whispered. "The pipes."  
  
They did. Korra focused. "There's water in them."  
  
"I'll open it, you do the rest," I murmured. I held my sonic screwdriver up and waited.  
  
And then I realized that it wouldn't work.  
  
That realization, and the why, occurred mere seconds before the White Lobe search party sprang their trap. Power exploded through the wall and slammed into us, knocking us over like bowling pins. Had the wall not absorbed much of their blast we would have all wound up striking the wall. The impact alone was enough that we had the breath knocked out of us. Naga let out a pained whine from where she'd been bowled over as well and in such a way as to aggravate her cracked ribs. For the moment, the fight was out of the polar bear dog.  
  
The three purple-robed figures came through the hole, set in an angle from the corridor they had been coming from. Korra began to stand first and two of them brought their hands up, lashing out with enough psychokinetic force to throw her against the wall and hold her there, arms spread flat against it. At first her face was full of irritation and resolve. She kicked with her legs, starting with an upward motion that ripped a chunk of metal grating from the surface of the hall and sending it flying into one of the White Lobe members with the rest of the kick motion. The metal slammed into the small figure and she - I was sure it was a she - screamed in rage and pain as she was knocked back into the hole they'd created.  
  
I brought up my sonic disruptor and tried to throw a blast at the third White Lobe member. But as I brought the disruptor up a force gripped my arm and forced it to point toward Asami. I didn't trigger the blast; Asami was already in a roll forward. For a moment I thought she would get in range to put her shock glove on the nearest Child. But said Child clearly identified her as a threat and brought a hand up. Asami fell to her knees as psychokinetic force pushed her down.  
  
With my arm momentarily free I brought it back around. I had a chance to fire and almost did... until the Child that Korra had slammed with the grate emerged from the wall, bruised and angered, and struck em with such intense psychokinetic force that I slammed into the furthest wall. The Child motioned and my sonics were torn from my grasp.  
  
The one holding Korra was visibly struggling, having to shift around to prevent Korra's kicks of air and fire from landing. The second saw its ally's distress and brought crushing psychokinetic force to bear on Korra's ankles. She screamed in pain and frustration as her legs joined her arms in being pressed against the wall. Wild panic showed on her face. I scrambled for my sonic disruptor to assist her and almost had it when more force slammed down on my hand and wrist. I howled in agony. The third Lobe member was holding my hand down and binding Asami at the same time. It was clearly a strain, but not an insurmountable one.  
  
"We are blessed, sisters," one said, this one clearly male - it was the one holding Korra's arms. "Farnillax will be pleased."  
  
Despite the situation, hope flared inside of me when I saw Naga get onto her feet again. She growled and moved to attack. If they had to shift to deal with her, if only for a moment, one of us could get free.  
  
One of the Children restraining Korra brought a hand over. I could feel the power ripple in the air as it directed it at Naga. Naga growled and slowed. Strain showed in her body. She fought the current of power and kept coming.  
  
So the Child swapped tactics. Instead of trying to restrain Naga... she focused her power on Naga's leg. A sickening cracking sound came to my ears, joined by a high-pitched whine of agony from the giant dog (well, polar bear dog). Naga's step faltered as her right foreleg came out from under her and pointed the wrong way. She let out another howl. I could see the panic and terror on Korra's face melt away as her companion's whimpers reached her.  
  
Korra let out a scream of rage... and lost control.  
  
I could feel the thrum of power as she moved into the Avatar State. The white light in her eyes lit up the corridor. Flames erupted from her mouth and enveloped the male Child, who screamed in terror and agony as the flames caught to his robe and burned his flesh. Korra's arms snapped free. With a movement of her fist a gust of wind struck the other Child with all the force of a tornado gust, slamming the little maniac into the far wall. The third turned to Korra, wide-eyed with astonishment. She lost her focus on Asami and I. I was able to move my wounded hand forward to grip my sonic disruptor.  
  
Asami got to the third one first. Electricity crackled from it and the Child screamed before going down.  
  
And then the ground underneath us tremored. Asami lost her balance and I failed to get to my feet. Were we too late? Was the tremor the detonation of a blink bomb inside of Mogo? The possibility made me shudder with horror.  
  
But it subsided within two seconds and did not return. No, the White Lobe wasn't finished yet. We still had time.  
  
Korra came out of the Avatar State and rushed to her wounded companion. Naga whimpered and presented the broken leg to Korra. Tears went down the young woman's face as she put a hand on the leg. "This is going to hurt, girl," she warned Naga. I watched her set the leg as I fished out my sonic screwdriver from the detritus of the corridor. Naga howled in pain but did not act out. She opened her water bottle and held a field of water over the wound, illuminating her face in blue light.  
  
"That was just three of them,' Asami muttered. "How... how can we fight them?"  
  
"We can't," I said. "I don't want to fight them. But it's clear they can track me. Perhaps Korra as well." I rubbed at my eyes. "They'll be able to sense us any time we get close."  
  
"Then what do we do?"  
  
I thought on it for a moment. My options were mostly bad. This entire situation, in fact, was making me feel regret at ever bringing Korra and Asami along. All I wanted to do was tour the vastness of Creation. Why did I have to keep winding up in situations like this?  
  
I felt my own voice give me an undesired answer. _Because, you idiot, you decided to become the Doctor._  
  
Finding the least-bad option of them all, I took my sonic screwdriver and handed it to Asami. "Here. I've shown you how to use it, keep the tracking beacon open for its connection to my disruptor and scan for active energy sources. Take Naga, use it to lead you to their power generators and disable them."  
  
Asami accepted it with a concerned look. "What about you?"  
  
"They can sense me and I'm pretty sure they'll sense Korra now," I said. "We'll go another way and lead off their pursuit." I went over to Korra. She had taken a metal rod from the assorted detritus of Ranx's long-lost denizens and made a crude splint by tying her waist fur cloth around it. "How is she?"  
  
"She can't run," Korra said. "My healing can't mend the bone."  
  
"Walking should be enough," I answered. "Asami will look after her. You and I have to get going."  
  
"They can sense us," she said, understanding. "So how do we fight them?"  
  
"We don't," I answered. "We _run_. Keep them guessing. And buy Asami time to get to their power systems."  
  
"Alright." Korra walked over to Asami and embraced her. "Be careful," she said.  
  
"You too," Asami answered. She walked over to Naga. "Come on girl."  
  
Naga looked at Korra and whined.  
  
Korra patted her affectionately on the head. "Sorry girl, but I need you to keep Asami safe while you sneak around. We'll get the bad guys' attention."  
  
Naga didn't fully accept that. But she made a sad chuffing sound of acceptance and went over to Asami, who put a hand on her white fur and guided her toward one direction.  
  
"Alright." I took in a breath and gripped my sonic disruptor. "Time to do the traditional thing."  
  
"You mean running?", Korra asked.  
  
I allowed myself a small smile and nodded. " _Exactly_."  
  
  
  
  
We ran.  
  
There's no better way to put it. We certainly weren't stealthy, given our hard breathing as we zipped from corridor to corridor, but they could sense us anyway so it didn't matter much. We had to stay a step ahead, there was no choice to it. With the sonic disruptor's scanning ability I had a generally vague idea of where power was coming from. I could try to evade this way. But it wouldn't last forever.  
  
Time Lord brains allow for some multi-tasking. I did quite a bit. This was definitely not what I had in mind when I agreed to let Korra and Asami board the TARDIS. I had been an idiot to think I could avoid this kind of trouble for long. Now they were both at risk against a powerful foe.  
  
Whatever happened... I had to get them home.  
  
I felt the tremor a moment before the energy came down from the ceiling. It put me in place to pull Korra away and prevent us from being buried. Without waiting I held up the sonic disruptor and fired a full Setting 21 blast. Screams came from the couple of Children who descended. They fell to the ground. Korra moved her arms around and buried them in earthen prisons, giving them only enough room to breathe. And thus we continued on.  
  
"How will we know if Asami succeeds?", she asked.  
  
"The loss of power," I answered. "Still, we need to get to the surface. Just because they can chase us doesn't mean we can't try to do our own thing. If I can get to their device I might be able to sabotage it."  
  
"Right." Korra looked down and concentrated. "Hold on!"  
  
I was about to ask what she was doing when she planted her feet and made a rising motion with her arms. The ground beneath us squealed and buckled before uprooting itself and lifting us up with it. Korra made pulling motions with her arms and we began sliding along, first very slowly but with growing speed. To avoid getting thrown off I had to put my arms around her stomach. I kept an eye on my sonic disruptor's scans and shouted directions, all leading us in a general upward direction.  
  
We found light coming down one of the tunnels and Korra turned toward it without needing a word from me. A couple of Children were standing at the entrance, poised and ready to fight. They didn't seem to expect a large chunk of earth to come speeding by, though. One jumped out of the way in time. The other was run over. I didn't look behind me to see what had happened to it.  
  
When we emerged we were out in alleyways and streets in short order. Straight ahead was an enclosure tipped with wiring. Korra didn't have time to slow us down. In a split second reaction I fired a full power blast of Setting 4 from my sonic disruptor. The energy lashed out and ripped through the wiring, granting us a bit of a hole to squeeze through as Korra brought the rock platform to a momentary halt.  
  
She had to in order to avoid running into the people on the other side of the wiring. They were from a wide assortment of species and were dressed in a wider assortment of rags, some more intact articles of clothing than others. They stared at us with bewilderment and fear. "Who are they?", Korra asked me.  
  
"Slave labor," I answered in a quiet tone. "And human shields, so to speak. The Children of the White Lobe could use them as living shields against the Lanterns to limit their attack options." I jumped down from the rock platform. "Run! All of you, it's your chance! Run! Get out of the city and don't look back!"  
  
They all continued to stare at me. I bit into my lip. The Children had undoubtedly been very thorough in breaking their spirits. They were afraid.  
  
And for good reason. I saw the first Children crest the wire a moment before they lashed out at us with psychokinetic force. I had my disruptor up to absorb it with the shield. I nearly had the disruptor torn from my hands.  
  
Now they ran, although mostly away from us. Bursts of concrete and material erupted from the ground and threw them away from me; the Children weren't being very careful with their attacks, but they did seem to want to avoid killing their labor if they didn't have to.  
  
Korra tried to absorb a blast with the platform we'd used. It shattered against the impact and the remaining energy threw her back and slammed her into several of the people. I got my disruptor up and sent off a setting 21 burst that disorientated and pained the little buggers, giving me time to get through the mob of terrified people and find Korra trying to get back to her feet. I could see in her eyes that she was on the verge of another panic freeze, spurred on by the sense memory of being thrown around and the chaos and fear around us. I looked about and spotted shelter, a building that looked like it was connected to the rest of the block. I pulled her up and ran into the entrance. More of the laborers were inside, trying to find cover. We had to fight through the press to keep moving. Despite the diversity present, our looks made us stand out. We couldn't hide in the mob. "Korra," I said urgently, pulling her into a side room. "I need your attention."  
  
"I... I..." She swallowed and shook her head as if to clear it. "I'm sorry, I...."  
  
"Nothing to be sorry about." I frowned. "This isn't what I brought you out here for." Outside I could hear commotion. The Children were gathering to come in after us. "Don't worry about fighting, just keep running." I took her wrist and pulled her along.  
  
The press of people receded as we got further into the building. Alien language signs shifted into what I could understand the moment I looked at them, guiding me toward the center of the area where the large drill was burrowing away. Korra kept pace with me. She was in sufficient shape that I wasn't yet worried about her running to exhaustion, but we didn't have long before that would be the result. We were both rather winded and if we were too tired, we would be unable to fight back.  
  
I could only hope Asami could get to their power systems and disable them. Then I could summon the TARDIS and get the tools and capability to finish this situation once and for all. Of course, to guarantee her success, she needed us to make a major distraction.  
  
We finally emerged from the building in sight of the base of the drill. It was, for reference, at least four hundred meters high when counting its upper stabilizers. The support struts formed a grid of beams around it. The control room looked to be about halfway up the structure, accessible by.... well, by nothing. Of course. The White Lobe could levitate with psychokinetic energy. We couldn't. Not unless we found a way to rig Korra a glider.  
  
"Scrap that plan," I muttered to myself.  
  
And then I sensed it. Energy, lots of it. I grabbed Korra and threw us both away from where we were standing.  
  
Sheer concentrated force slammed down where we had been, strong enough to force the ground down about five inches in a near circle and send cracks across the surface for dozens of feet around us, like a large spider-web.  
\  
"A good chase, Time Lord."  
  
I looked up to see Farnillax and over a dozen of his fellows hovering above us. Even more were coming in from other angles. Far more than we could fight. "If you surrender, we will spare your friend," he said.  
  
"You mean you would enslave her along with the others here," I retorted. "I'll make my counter-offer. Turn the drill off, release my TARDIS, and leave this world."  
  
Farnillax stared at me. "You would have us abandon our holy work. Why would we give everything up?"  
  
"Because," I answered, my voice matter-of-fact, "you'll get to live." I allowed a little bit of sinister menace to creep into my tone as I gestured at him. "Yes, you'll get to live, Farnillax. Because if you don't agree to my terms, I can't guarantee any of you walk away from this."  
  
For a moment there was sheer stunned silence on the Child's face. Then he broke out into a laugh, echoed by the others. "You have no power to fight us. Even your friend would be overwhelmed by our numbers. What makes you think you can dictate terms?"  
  
"Indeed." I smiled. "You know my reputation, right? Oh yes, you know a lot about me. And that's what worries you, isn't it?" I didn't say the rest of the thought. Farnillax was letting himself be held back by his fear, his worry about what I might have yet done. Until he could reassure himself I hadn't done a thing - which I honestly hadn't - he would be reluctant to act and prompt me to play any tricks.  
  
Of course, I didn't have one. Not exactly. I only had hopes. Hope that Asami could get to the power generators and disable them. Hope that my signal would get picked up by the Green Lanterns. Hope that Mogo might yet awaken without Ranx's power being used to suppress him into slumber.  
  
And that meant I needed time. Which Farnillax was giving me.  
  
The leader of the Children scowled, showing his pointed, nasty teeth. It made me think of those little devils that the "crew" of the NSEA _Protector_ had to run from. Except unlike those creatures, the Children could fly. And smash things with their minds. I wasn't sure if they were cannibals though.  
  
And just like that, the drill stopped. There was a whine in the air as it and every other piece of technology was deprived of power.  
  
Ah, Asami. Such timing. I could kiss her. Platonically. Platonically!  
  
I reached my hand into my pocket to get the TARDIS remote and activate it. I felt its metal against my skin and thought the order to come to us.  
  
Raw brutal force slammed into me. I cried out in pain, feeling as I had been struck by a massive sledgehammer across the entire front surface of my body. It sent me flying backward several feet until I hit the ground hard enough that it would leave bruises.  
  
Farnillax also had a sense of timing, or rather, how not to play into the usual role. He launched himself at me, fury and rage in his eyes, his teeth glistening and aimed at my throat.  
  
Korra sprang between us. Her fist punched Farnillax in the face. More than that, she generated fire with the same movement and struck him with it directly. The Child leader screeched in agony when he flew into the nearby ruined building. Flames caught to his robes and set them alight.  
  
The other children attacked. Korra tried to shield herself behind a wall of rock again. It shattered under the force of the attack and sent her flying as well. I tried to grip my sonic disruptor while my head was still ringing from the hard impact of my landing. But I knew there wasn't much I could do with it. There were too many. I needed time. I looked to Korra and knew my eyes showed my take on the situation. We weren't going to win this as it was now.  
  
So Korra changed the rules. She closed her eyes and power erupted from within her. Air swirled around her and lifted her up. Her eyes glowed white when she re-opened them. She whirled her arms around and an air current started twisting around us. The Children were forced to divert their efforts into fighting it to stay aloft. One by one she struck out with flame and earth attacks, setting robes on fire and knocking White Lobe followers to the ground. I felt the ground tremor beneath me, more violently than before. Was Korra somehow effecting Ranx as a whole?  
  
I pushed the thought from my head and reached for my sonic disruptor, focusing for the moment on getting my disruptor back in my hand.  
  
As a result, my warning came a moment too late. I called out to Korra as I saw the danger, not realizing I hadn't said anything in time.  
  
Farnillax came upward again. His burnt flesh was charred and blackened and his frail body was mostly revealed by the tatters of remaining cloth. He slammed into Korra from below, wielding his psychokinetic power around his small form to knock her off balance. Once he was above her he twisted in mid-air and sent his force downward against Korra, slamming her with it and causing her to fall. She landed and a fountain of crushed matter flowered up from the impact point. I raised the disruptor and hit Farnillax with a Setting 4 blast, but I hadn't had time to focus the setting and he didn't take the brute force impact to knock him from the ground. I scrambled over to Korra and brought up my sonic disruptor just in time to shield us. With the blasts coming from above it didn't blow me over, but it was like being struck from above by a sledgehammer the size of a large automobile. I gasped in pain as every blow seemed to tear at my arm muscles, threatening to push the disruptor from my grasp.  
  
That was when a streak of green light sliced into Farnillax. As in literally sliced. The White Lobe leader let out a cry of pain and fell to the ground, mortally wounded.  
  
A Green Lantern descended from above, coming to a landing near me. He - I was fairly sure the Lantern was a he - was of a humanoid species of cyan coloring wearing the usual green and black uniform of the Green Lantern Corps. The look of his body made me think of what it'd be to combine the forms of a Suliban with an Asari, with a Salarian-esque head and a tail coming from the rear. The Lantern looked at me with curiosity. "You are the Time Lord?", he asked.  
  
"I am," I replied. "You got my message?"  
  
"Yes. I was closer than the others. A squad from Oa will be here shortly."  
  
"Excellent. Then that just leaves..."  
  
We both sensed the danger at the same time. More of the Children were coming. Maybe all of them. Given the ones already down for the count, it made me wonder just how big a commitment this was for them.  
  
I had the sonic disruptor back up. The Lantern generated his own force shield, and just in time. Psychokinetic force slammed into him and sent him flying into mid-air. He regained control and evaded another blast from a different Child. He twisted and turned and slipped around, firing bursts of green light from his power ring every time he had a shot. The Children were focused entirely on him. Probably best for us.  
  
Korra stirred beside me. She rubbed at her head and opened her eyes. She wasn't in the State any longer. "What happened?"  
  
"Farnillax wouldn't go down." I looked over to his broken remains. "Thankfully we bought the time we needed. There's a Lantern here now." I pointed up to where the alien Lantern was fighting an aerial battle against his more numerous foes.  
  
Korra watched, her mouth agape with astonishment. "How is he...?"  
  
"Power ring," I replied. "Literal sentient willpower converted into energy and directed by the willpower of the ringbearer."  
  
"It's..." Her blue eyes shined with the wonder in them. "...pretty beautiful, I have to say. I mean... look at him."  
  
"Very impressive," I agreed.... before I forced her down with a shout of "Duck!"  
  
A plasma beam sizzled overhead. When I looked up, I saw figures approaching. More aliens, different species, but in ramshackle uniforms mixed with White Lobe robes. "Servitors, I presume," I muttered. "Here to keep the others in line." I brought the sonic disruptor up and absorbed the next shot. Korra threw several fireball punches at them, getting some to fall back with their clothes on fire. But they were going to keep coming...  
  
And then, with great surprise, Naga came roaring around a corner and plowing into their rear flanks. I heard the whir of my sonic and plasma guns began to explode or short out.  
  
Under attack from two sides, the servitors lacked the discipline to hold their places. They broke and fled deeper into Ranx's remains. This allowed Asami and Naga to approach us. Naga started to move gingerly. Korra frowned and looked at the splint she'd put on Naga's leg. It was still intact but had shifted out of place. "I tried to keep her from running," Asami explained. "But when we saw that thing knock you from the air..."  
  
"It's okay."  
  
Asami looked up at where the Lantern was fighting the Children. Her eyes widened and she was speechless.  
  
"Very impressive, yes," I said. "He's using his willpower to direct the energy in the ring. Now...."  
  
There was a horrible cry of pain from above us... and the green light went out.  
  
It happened so fast. Several of the Children were down and the others were unable to hit the Lantern. But a few had gotten tactical in their approach, changing their angles of attack to catch the Lantern in a pincer. I saw three little bodies join the Lantern in plummeting downward - other Children caught in their own side's attack. Sacrificed to take out their one enemy.  
  
But they had. The Lantern hit the ground beside us, hard, creating a cloud of dust and pulverized building material at impact. He was nearly dead from the massive damage his body had taken; he had been crushed by the energy striking him on multiple sides. Asami went to his side.  
  
The Children were coming. I needed to buy us some time, just a few extra seconds, so I shouted, "Into the building!" I directed everyone toward the nearest ruined structure. Asami strained and lifted the dying Lantern into a fireman's carry, running right behind Korra and Naga into the door I was gesturing into. I turned to follow them.  
  
A powerful force yanked my ankles out from under me. I planted my face into the ground in a rather undignified way. I had only a moment to consider this as the same force yanked me away from the door opening and back in the direction of the drill. A high, shrill, female voice screeched, "You have interfered in our holy work. Now you shall be punished." A female Child, almost as old as Farnillax, came to my vision as she dangled me upside down. "Behold the fate of your friends, Time Lord."  
  
At her gesture, the other Children moved in sync. Psychokinetic force smashed into the ruined structure. And all I could do was watch in horror as it collapsed in on itself.  
  
With Korra, Asami, and Naga all inside.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything looks bad for our narrator in the fight to save Mogo from the Children of the White Lobe. But things may not be as bad as they seem.

The building fell in an expanding cloud of dust and debris. I let out a pained breath and found myself hoping they'd managed something, _anything_ , to avoid being crushed. "You have no idea what you've done," I hissed at the remaining Children of the White Lobe.  
  
"We have hurt you," the elderly woman Child answered. "And we...."  
  
I felt the ground beneath me tremor yet again, this time with even greater power than before. My mind recounted the day's events and drew a smile to my face. These tremors meant that Korra was in the Avatar State. She was still alive, indeed, they were all still alive, inside the rubble.  
  
As I had those thoughts I wondered about how, precisely, it was being caused. This didn't feel like a simple result of Korra's Earthbending.  
  
A scowl crossed the new leader's face. Yes, she had sensed Korra as well. She pointed to the rubble and the others started hitting it with psychokinetic force, blasting away debris to get at the bottom.  
  
My hand gripped my sonic disruptor. More time... we just needed more time. Even if it meant making myself a target again in an environment where my chance of survival was... infinitesimal.  
  
I lifted the disruptor and used its setting 21 to disrupt the leader's brain. She screeched in pain and rage and fell from the sky. I twisted around, hitting as many as I could. I moved to the side just before force nearly slammed me back into the ground. A second strike from another Child grazed me on the upper arm. Pain shot through my left arm as I made a spin in place from the force. I barely got my feet back and swept the disruptor skyward again.  
  
The next blow I took full on the chest. I went flying with the air knocked out of my lungs. I hurt everywhere by this point and it made getting up an act of will.  
  
I just needed time....  
  
....and that was when green light erupted from within the rubble. A massive earth-mover blade came from within, pushing aside the debris and clearing a path from the building. It rotated upward and showed it was sheltering...  
  
Korra and Naga came out from underneath it first. Korra made a spinning kick in mid-air and a wave of fire enveloped two Children. Naga plowed into a third that was low enough for her to reach. And Asami....  
  
....well, that was something I never thought I'd see.  
  
Green light surrounded her, courtesy of the ring now on her right hand. Her outfit of red and dark red was replaced by, you guessed it, the green and black of the Lanterns. She looked a little pale but I could see determination shining in her eyes.  
  
And then the light around her expanded until she was in a construct of a Future Industries combat mecha. Energy erupted from inside of it and she was airborne the following moment while the arms of the construct machine revealed gatling-gun like weapon emplacements. As i watched her use them to great effect on the Children, I supposed it was irony that I had been the one to introduce her to the idea of firearms given the lack of them on her world. Green energy lashed out repeatedly, striking Children and knocking them away or down for the count. Asami swung the construct's fists and sent out lins of green light that simulated the capture cables of the actual suits, using them to snatch Children and toss them around like, dare I say it?.... dolls.  
  
I forced myself to my feet just as Korra ran up. We looked skyward to where the Children were trying to fight Asami. She didn't have the veteran knowledge of the other Lantern, but she made up for it by her approach, using the suit construct as armor to prevent the kind of crushing blast that had killed the Lantern from before. "Well, I'll be."  
  
"He gave her that ring," Korra said, looking back in the rubble. "Just before he died."  
  
"He was giving you a fighting chance."  
  
Korra nodded. And she clearly fought down her sadness about the dead Green Lantern in favor of something else on her mind. "When I was in the Avatar State again, I... felt something. I'm not sure how to explain it, but I think it was a spirit, a large and powerful spirit, and it was trying to connect with me."  
  
I nodded. And I put two and two together. "Ah, that's it. That's it!" I snapped my fingers and took Korra by the shoulders. "Can you meditate in the State? I don't need you to fight, I just need you to reach out for that spirit."  
  
"Well, I can try," she said.  
  
"Good." I held up the sonic disruptor. "I'll watch your back."  
  
Korra nodded and sat on the ground, cross-legged. She put her fists together in front of her and breathed in gently. I could feel subtle power thrumming around us. Above us Asami was still doing her best to fight the Children off. I could see she was struggling; her construct was failing around her and her movements were becoming weaker. She took more hits. "Asami!", I called out. "Come down here!"  
  
She twisted away from the fight and came down. As she hit the ground, sending a wave of debris around her in the process, the construct faded and she stumbled to her feet. She was sweating hard and her face had turned pale from exertion. "Use the ring and generate a shield dome," I urged.  
  
"I don't know... if I can hold it," she said weakly.  
  
"I know you _can_ ," I answered, holding up my own disruptor. "I'll reinforce it as best as I can.  
  
She gave a weak nod. After taking in a breath, visibly steeling herself, Asami raised her arm and projected a green force dome around us just before the first psychokinetic bolts fell upon our heads. She gasped with effort and came to her knees. Her face contorted into a grimace of effort. She was putting _everything_ into maintaining the shield. I did what I could, projecting my own to supplement her's. The force of their blows was distributed between us. It was the only reason we could hold out so long.  
  
"Unnnh." Asami's arm quivered with effort. "I can't hold it."  
  
I couldn't respond. I felt like they were going to rip my arms off.  
  
And that was when the ground shook once more. A familiar energy began to permeate the air. I turned to Korra and saw she was still focused in her meditation. She'd almost done it. Just a few moments more....  
  
Green light came from the horizon and moved overhead, forming a Green Lantern symbol in the sky above. **_CHILDREN OF THE WHITE LOBE. LEAVE._**  
  
" _No_ ," the female leader hissed, her face showing rage and disbelief. "It can't happen this way!"  
  
Beams of emerald energy erupted from the ground beneath us. In turn each Child was engulfed and fell to the ground, out of the fight. They started to scatter while the energy sought them out. More green light erupted from the hole created by the drill. The drill was blown apart in the space of a few seconds, sending metal flying everywhere.  
  
Mogo was awake.  
  
Asami let out a small noise and the green dome around us vanished. She fell over. I fell to my knees myself. My arms felt like numb rubber and I doubted I could lift a mouse with my remaining strength.  
  
"The planet's awake," Korra said. She opened her eyes. "Asami!"  
  
We arrived at her side together. "Feel like I haven't slept in days," Asami muttered weakly.  
  
"I can imagine," I said. "If you want to rest, feel free. The worst is over."  
  
"Yeah. The planet's going to take care of everything," Korra added. She looked to me. "I... you told us it was a living planet, but I had no idea how big it was. I felt like a drop in an ocean."  
  
I nodded at her.  
  
And then, as if to punish me for my earlier remark, I saw a small figure get off the ground and dart toward us. The female leader - I never caught her name - screamed at us. " _In the name of the White Lobe!_ "  
  
I was reaching for my sonic disruptor. Korra gathered in energy to bend air or fire or anything at her. But I had the bad feeling that when she turned herself into a blink bomb... it wouldn't matter.  
  
And that was when a green sphere of light surrounded the survivor and lifted her skyward. She screamed in rage before destroying herself. I looked up and saw several figures descend to the ground. I recognized quite a few, including two of the Earth Lanterns: Kyle Rayner and Guy Gardner. Given the rush in my system, I suppose I could be forgiven a smirk and saying, "Ah, you lot finally get here after we finish everything up."  
  
The reply was a snort and a smirk from Guy Gardner.  
  
  
  
The Lanterns saw to the cleanup. Several were tasked to taking the freed sentients back to their worlds. Others went to work on cutting up what was left of Ranx and returning it to space.  
  
Our assorted injuries were tended to by the Green Lantern physician Soranik Natu. I used a regenerative to help hasten the healing of Naga's snapped foreleg. Korra was sitting beside Asami who was getting the attention from Soranik now. She was holding the dead Lantern's ring in her hand. "Taking on a bunch of those scary little bastards as a rookie?" Guy let out a whistle. "Nice slinging, kid. Up for it full time?"  
  
Asami smiled at him. Some color was starting to return to her face. "It's... not my thing. I have a life back on my world."  
  
"Your choice, kid." I glanced over at that and noticed Guy was giving them quite the look. I let out a little sigh before returning my attention to my patient. I gave Naga a pat on the muzzle. "There you go girl. Feel better?"  
  
The polar bear dog replied with a happy chuffing sound and an increase in her tail wagging.  
  
"Good." I looked to the others. Kyle was looking at me with... consternation.  
  
Yes, I imagined he would. Nevertheless I walked over to him. "Is everything all right?"  
  
"Thank you for saving Mogo," he said to me. "We'd have never realized what was going on in the nick of time."  
  
"That's quite alright," I answered. A thought came to my mind but I didn't give it words. In truth, this was the second time I'd saved Mogo, although this time it was directly.  
  
The last time... well, I had been the Time Lord Triumphant, and I had interfered in an event and as a ripple effect prevented Mogo from being destroyed. As you can imagine, I don't like to talk about that time.  
  
"I want to ask something," Kyle said. He looked like he had come to an uncomfortable resolution, that something had been gnawing at him.  
  
I had a feeling of what it was. "Yes?"  
  
"Why did you do it?"  
  
I blinked. "Narrow that down? Why did I do what?"  
  
"The Reverse-Flash," Kyle answered.  
  
"Ah." I nodded quietly. "Yes, I imagined that was what you'd bring up." I looked away. "He was trying to kill Nora Allen in the past. He intended to ruin Barry's future and provoke Barry into doing something... monumentally unwise. So I stopped him."  
  
"I'm not against that," Kyle said. "I've met Mrs. Allen, she's a sweetheart. But Thawne..."  
  
I nodded and looked skyward. "Yes. I was in a... terrible mood at that time, Kyle. A very nasty mood. I was... well, I was going too far." Thoughts of what happened with Nerys came to my mind. "I didn't kill him, though. If that's what you're thinking."  
  
"We know," Kyle answered. "You left him at the accretion disc of a black hole's event horizon. If he ever stops running over the debris..."  
  
"...he'll fall into the event horizon and be stretched into a spaghetti noodle, yes." I sighed. Such had been my thinking as the Time Lord Triumphant. "As I said, a very nasty mood. Haven't you lot tried to get him out?"  
  
Kyle looked uncomfortable. "A couple of times. But you put him right on the line. The slightest shift in his velocity in the wrong direction and he goes in. And if we get too close, we join him."  
  
"Ah. And I suppose that given his background, nobody wants to risk that much for the man." I nodded stiffly. "I understand." I let out another sigh, this one more resigned. "I take it I'm not welcome back on Earth now?"  
  
Kyle answered me with a little shake of his head. "That depends."  
  
"Depends? On whether or not I'm looking to make another example like Thawne, I presume."  
  
"Just about," Kyle confirmed.  
  
"Well... I shall avoid doing such, then." I brought my eyes back down from the sky and looked to Kyle. "I'm better now. Although I admit I don't go by the name of 'the Doctor' anymore. That name... has too much power."  
  
"Sounds like quite a story," he said to me.  
  
"It is," I confirmed.  
  
"Well, we have a while." Kyle used his ring to project a table and chairs. "Why don't you tell me?"  
  
I swallowed. "I... prefer not to talk about it," I said. "You've heard the saying that the road to Hell is paved by good intentions?"  
  
"I have."  
  
"I learned the wisdom of that saying first hand," I said, my voice low and hard. "And someone I cared for nearly killed herself stopping me from going too far. It woke me up to what I had become. And the price was almost too high."  
  
At that Kyle gave a nod. "It's a story my circle can be familiar with."  
  
"I imagine so." I extended a hand. "I've enjoyed this talk, Kyle. Thank you for being honest in what was on your mind."  
  
He eyed my hand and, after a moment, took it. "You're welcome." After the handshake he asked, "So, why did you come here again?"  
  
"To give Korra some time with Mogo," I answered. "I thought he might be able to help her with some problems she's suffering. Spiritually, mentally."  
  
"He's good for that."  
  
And right on cue, Mogo said, _**I WILL BE GRATEFUL TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE YOU DESIRE, DOCTOR.**_  
  
"You're always swell like that, Mogo. You said the same thing last time."  
  
 ** _LAST TIME?_**  
  
I blinked. And then realization dawned. "Oh, yes. Um... sorry, spoilers there. Suffice to say that I saw you much earlier in my timestream. You were quite the host." I nodded. "And I suppose that explains how you knew me back then."  
  
 ** _I SEE. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN. WILL YOUR YOUNGER SELF BE INQUISITIVE?_**  
  
"Perfunctorily, yes. Just tell him 'spoilers', he'll understand," I replied.  
  
 ** _I WILL DO SO._**  
  
  
  
  
By the next day the Lanterns had left. I had the TARDIS in a clearing, the same lake that I had seen so long ago when my journey was beginning. I had encouraged everyone to get some time in with Mogo and ventured off myself, returning to the meadow I'd seen years ago. I remembered seeing things there. I didn't remember what, but I remembered the event and that it had to do with my past. The box in my head had taken in even the perfect memory of a Time Lord.  
  
I sat in the clearing again and rubbed at my aching arms. The conversation about what I'd done as the Time Lord Triumphant had scraped at that old wound. It was not a pleasant remembrance. I felt guilt and horror at my behavior. I remembered Thawne's face, his pleas for mercy, as I stranded him on that accretion disc and doomed him to run forever. My moods had been so dark back then.  
  
"Doctor?"  
  
The voice made me look up even as recognition kicked in. I drew in a sharp breath. Mogo was using his own power in an attempt to soothe me, and like with others he called forth someone I had lost.  
  
I knew it wasn't her. But my voice still croaked, in disbelief, "Katherine?"  
  
The illusion of Katherine Steiner-Davion, the little girl I had nudged since childhood into becoming better than she would have been, got into the grass in front of me. He depicted her in a sleeveless blouse and ankle-length dress of light blue and yellow with red and orange patterns; a favored suit of hers that combined the colors of her family. "I'm sorry you're hurting so much," she said.  
  
I almost broke out into tears just looking at her. It reminded me of how she had looked after the bomb. I closed my eyes, as if to will that image out of my head. "I failed you," I murmured. "I could have saved you."  
  
"Maybe it was I who failed you," she said sadly. "I gave you my worship when you needed a partner."  
  
"No," I said, hoarsely. "That's not it."  
  
"I just... couldn't help it. From the time I was a child you were... utterly magnificent."  
  
Her hands took mine and I opened my eyes. I felt warm tears on my face. She smiled at me with all of the radiance she had ever possessed. As much as I knew, rationally, that this was Mogo creating an image of Katherine from my thoughts... deep down a part of me didn't want that to be true. I wanted it to be _her_. "You did so much for me. You saved me from myself," she said. "If only I could have done the same for you."  
  
"You can't blame yourself for that," I said, ignoring that fact that it really wasn't her. "It.... Katherine, oh Katherine, I could have saved you. So easily. If I'd just... if I'd just _paid attention_ to what was going on....!"  
  
At that she pressed my hands together inside of hers. Her smile remained sweet. "You gave me so much joy and wonder, Doctor. Please don't let this be how you remember me. I'd rather you remember the things we did together, the places we saw and the people we met. The good we did. Don't let the tragedy get in the way of the good."  
  
As "Katherine" said those words I realized the truth in them. How much of my woe could be traced to my grief for Katherine, my guilt and self-hatred and my frustration and fury? I had allowed her death to poison me. It was still in me, in fact, affecting my decisions.  
  
Again, I knew these were not Katherine's words. They were Mogo's, through my memories of her. But... they were what I needed to hear.  
  
I put my hand on her cheek and opened my eyes. Again, just for a moment, I let myself think it was the sweet young woman who had traveled for so long with me, who had from the time she was a child dreamed of the many wonders I would eventually show her as an adult. I pushed the memory of what the bomb had left of her from my mind and focused on her as she was in life. Smart and endearing and so, so _brilliant_.  
  
"Thank you," I murmured. To the specter of Katherine, to Mogo, maybe to myself... it didn't matter to whom, but that the words were said. "Thank you," I repeated.  
  
I stood up, wiped the tears from my eyes, and returned to the TARDIS.  
  
  
  
  
Night was falling for us. I found Asami and Korra leaning beside Naga, who was nuzzling Korra with her muzzle playfully. There were tears in their eyes. I presumed Asami had seen her mother. Korra.... hrm, a good question there, she hadn't lost anyone that I could think of. Maybe a grandparent?  
  
No. I knew who. But I didn't bring it up. "So." I sat between them and rested against Naga's warm fur. I could feel her steady breath under my head. "Everyone enjoy Mogo after all this fuss?"  
  
"An entire living planet." Asami's voice showed her wonder. "I never imagined it before. I mean, a planet as a single living thing."  
  
"Well, technically Mogo has other living things as part of him. But, yes, I do see your point." I looked to Korra. "And you?"  
  
"It's been great." She nodded. "But I wish we hadn't been so close to losing him. I'm still not as good as I was. I can't get over what happened."  
  
"It won't happen overnight," I pointed out. "I brought you to Mogo to _begin_ your healing process, Korra, not to heal it all in one go."  
  
She let out a growl of frustration. "Yes, but I could have done so much more to fight them. That Lantern..."  
  
"Lakanar," Asami said quietly. I blinked. I hadn't gotten his name, I had to admit.  
  
"....if I had been in shape, he wouldn't have died," Korra lamented.  
  
"No guarantee of that. We were up against some tough opposition this time." I looked over to her. "And you still saved the day in the end. We would never have bought enough time if you hadn't been able to awaken Mogo. That was something only you could do."  
  
 ** _INDEED. I AM THANKFUL FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE, AVATAR KORRA._**  
  
"You're welcome, Mogo," she answered. She closed her eyes and sighed. "I just wish I could focus on my fights like I used to."  
  
"I understand that. Although consider that sometimes... maybe not fighting is the best way."  
  
That made her blink. "Yeah, sure, there are times I shouldn't."  
  
"Yes. And you need to remember that." I gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Being the Avatar isn't just about throwing fireballs at people, after all. Bringing balance and peace to the world requires peaceful work too. That's something I try to do whenever I can. Whenever I'm allowed, really."  
  
"I'm not a very good diplomat," Korra pointed out.  
  
"Well..." I smiled at her. "I suppose we can work on that too."  
  
"We all will," Asami said. "Together."  
  
"Right indeed." I lowered my head back against Naga again and looked up into the twinkling stars. They joined me.  
  
"So, where are we going next?", Asami asked.  
  
"Wherever the TARDIS takes us, I suppose," I answered. "But I'm sure we'll enjoy it. For given values of enjoy."  
  
And that was how our conversation for the night ended, and with it this particular adventure.  
  
An adventure that, it would turn out, had far greater weight in my overall story that I had imagined at the time.  
  



End file.
